* V6 and Crossover MAC

[Valkrider]

I will add to the knowledgebase when I have done a bit more testing but basically V6 works on Crossover.

My old v5 was installed in an XP bottle so I thought I would give it a try to see if v6 would install in the same bottle just in case the Crossover implementation of the XP bottle was different enough to allow it to work. It wasn't. I therefore had to create a new Windows 7 bottle for v6.

This installed without issue. I did not have to add any of the additional files that were necessary with v5 so that is the good news.

Now for the bad news:

• Reports still do not display as with v5.
  
  My Heritage links work and display the page BUT as I am in Spain it assumes I want the page in Spanish as I live in Spain, unlike the native PC version it is not possible to change the language to English, the button does nothing. If you click on the My Heritage view record link FH crashes and the programme has to be closed. The record window alongside the My Heritage screen does not update and the record type buttons are not clickable and the display still shows part of the initial browse window.
  
  The maps window freezes when zooming in or scrolling and Family Historian crashes.

I still have more testing to do but it looks like there is some incompatibility in the screen drivers between Crossover and Family Historian display like with reports from V5.

It seems that there are more issues with v6 than v5 in Crossover on the Mac but more testing is necessary to confirm.

[tatewise]

Colin, have you set Tools > Preferences > General tab Advanced button Emulator Compatibility Mode?
This cured the Reports problem during Beta testing.

The Maps display issues in Crossover/Wine were reported during Beta testing and I think Simon said they would investigate after the main release.

Likewise, I suspect with the MyHeritage hints problems, but is it any better if you choose Tools > Preferences > Internet Data Matches > Location to Display: External Web Browser.

I would be interested in how Plugins behave.

[Valkrider]

Mike

Thanks that does cure the reports.

It would have been nice to have been involved in the beta!

My Heritage in the external browser works fine.

Plugins have the usual problem with the computer name not being set. In crossover 14 cxbottle.conf is not in the same place so I need to find it.

[tatewise]

I think there was a general invite to join the Beta testing, but I cannot recall how & where they were issued.

[Jane]

I sent out the call for Beta testers in the FHUG newsletter back in September.

http://www.fhug.org.uk/newsletter/2014- ... etter.html

[Valkrider]

Jane

I never received that because the email address I used on here is defunct and I had forgotten to change it . I have now.

[Valkrider]

Mike

We are back to the drawing board with Plugins.

I have the old problem of the missing COMPUTERNAME error. Even though I have now tracked down where the cxbottle.conf is located and added the additional environment variable as I did in V5 the plugins will not run in V6 without the error.

I will raise a ticket with Codeweavers to see what they have to say.

[Valkrider]

I had a reply from Codeweavers and the solution is most odd.

It appears as though there maybe something odd with the COMPUTERNAME. In my old .conf file it was set as Colins-MacBook-Air which matches my laptops name in System Preferences. They ran through all that I had done and it was as for v5 but in their example they set the COMPUTERNAME as COLIN and lo and behold the plugins now work.

I will update the Knowledgebase tomorrow.

[tatewise]

Colin, perhaps we need to think about how to update the KB.
Maybe it needs separate advice for FH V5 and FH V6, especially as the settings are rather different.

We also need to understand the significance of the COMPUTERNAME because it would not be a good idea for everyone to use COLIN as that would compromise the transfer of Plugin settings from Mac to Mac.
The whole point of COMPUTERNAME is that it must be different on each Mac/PC.
In FH running on Wine (10907) they similarly suggested using your first name - but why?

[mjashby]

Mike,

I think that at least part of the answer to your question may be that each Crossover/Wine application is a self-contained Virtual Computer System, so the name of the Mac Computer won't be relevant as the name 'Colin' (or whatever) will only be stored internally in the created application.

If a user happens to have two Macs, unlike installed Windows applications, all they need to do is copy the application (bottle) across from one to the other and they will then have two identical applications/virtual computers and any Plugins should respond as if they are working on the same system not two different systems.

Mervyn

[Valkrider]

Mike

Yes I agree v6 does need its own entry as in fact other than this glitch it is far easier in a Win 7 bottle than an XP one.

I will have a go at drafting the page later but I have a G+ Hangout this morning so it will be after that.

Mervyn

Thanks for that, it makes sense and hopefully I will be replacing my desktop PC with an iMac shortly so that will make the transfer even easier.

[tatewise]

Colin, the point about transferring Plugin settings is a bit different than that.
If you have two Mac/PC, then many users synchronise their Project Folders via Dropbox, etc.
If the Plugin sticky settings are changed on one Mac/PC they automatically get synchronised to the other Mac/PC.
The problem is sticky settings for file/folder path names that can be different on each machine.
The Plugins save those file-path sticky settings using the COMPUTERNAME to keep them local to each machine, so when the Plugin Data file is synchronised to the other Mac/PC only local file-path settings are applied.

So the important thing is that each COMPUTERNAME in each Bottle is different, and the machine name seemed a good unique name to choose, but anything will do, and this must appear in the KB advice.

P.S.
I have created how_to:family_historian_v6_on_crossover_wine|> Family Historian V6 on Crossover and Wine and included some updates, but it needs reviewing against your latest findings.
The original page has been renamed to how_to:install_family_historian_with_crossover_wine|> Family Historian V5/V4 on Crossover and Wine.

[tatewise]

Colin, I have updated how_to:family_historian_v6_on_crossover_wine|> Family Historian V6 on Crossover and Wine based on your E-mail Word doc.

Could you review it in detail please.

I prefer to keep the V5/V4 instructions separate from the V6 instructions, because I think the former are quite stable, and the latter will undergo several revisions as V6 is updated.

[Valkrider]

Mike,

Excellent, I don't see any problems with it and will add to it, if necessary, as I play with v6 more. It is a shame that backup and restore will still not work.

[tatewise]

I only left that problem in until it could be checked.

Has the FH Tools > Preferences > Backup > Default Backup Folder been setup and can FH use File > Backup/Restore to access that folder?

Have you tried the latest Plugin V2.2 download?

Remind me exactly what the problem is.
Is it Registry access or Backup folder access?

[tatewise]

Colin, Happy New Year.
Could you try the above Plugin scenario, and give me some feedback when you have time.

[Valkrider]

Mike

Sorry websites have taken over my life of late. I am now back home after Christmas away and will take a look in the next couple of days.

[Valkrider]

Mike

It is a Registry error see the attached.

Screen Shot 2015-01-01 at 11.15.33 AM.png (33.39 KiB) Viewed 15818 times

It is the same error message with v2.2 and 2.3 of the plugin.

Is it possible to manually enter the registry keys before running the plugin? If I can is it likely to fix the problem?

[tatewise]

No, I don't think that is the same as before, and I don't think it is a Registry error either.

The file path shown is where the REG QUERY results should be saved in a file.
On Windows 7 it should be in the C:\ProgramData\Calico Pie\... folder.
e.g.
C:\ProgramData\Calico Pie\Family Historian\Plugin Data\Backup and Restore Family Historian Settings.reg

The path shown in the error report is C:\Users\Public\Application Data\Calico Pie\...!

Paths such as these are obtained by the Plugin via the FH API, which would appear to be returning the wrong path.
Please try running the following diagnostic TEST PATHS Plugin and let me know the output.
I suspect that Crossover is returning incorrect paths for some Windows 7 settings.

[Valkrider]

Mike

This is the output from that plugin.

Screen Shot 2015-01-01 at 2.34.12 PM.png (31.05 KiB) Viewed 15800 times

[tatewise]

Thank you for that feedback Colin, and I have two comments.

(1) ProgramData folder
The screenshot confirms the Win 7 bottle has the C:\ProgramData\... folder path as:
C:\users\Public\Application Data\...
Can you confirm that all the expected C:\ProgramData\Calico Pie\Family Historian\... files reside at C:\users\Public\Application Data\Calico Pie\Family Historian\...?
Although this should work OK it is not what a Windows 8, 7, or Vista user would expect.
If user programs employed explicit paths rather than using system variables they would fail.
Perhaps you could report this anomaly to CodeWeavers.

(2) Backup And Restore Plugin
That unusual C:\ProgramData path was a red herring, and on closer examination the Registry access is failing.
However, I have reviewed how Ancestral Sources Data Entry reads the Registry in a Crossover compatible way.
I have adapted the Backup and Restore Plugin to use the same method for Win 7 & Win 8.
Pease try the attached Plugin V2.3 dated 01 Jan 2015.

[ ATTACHMENT deleted as now in Plugin Store, but still does not work in Crossover. ]

[Valkrider]

Mike

The file structure looks correct to me. See

Screen Shot 2015-01-02 at 10.20.14 AM.png (48.92 KiB) Viewed 15752 times

Unfortunately your new version of the plugin does not resolve the Registry problem.

Screen Shot 2015-01-02 at 10.15.10 AM.png (85.82 KiB) Viewed 15752 times

[tatewise]

I believe the (1) ProgramData folder path difference from real Windows 8/7/Vista needs reporting to CodeWeavers. It is nothing particularly to do with FH, but a very general inconsistency.

The (2) Backup And Restore Plugin Registry access needs some more experiments. The basic concept works in Ancestral Sources Data Entry, so I will create a diagnostic Plugin that gradually builds more complex Registry enquiries to see what works and what does not.

[Valkrider]

Mike

I have raised a ticket with Codeweavers and will update you when I get a response.

[Valkrider]

Mike

Response from Codeweavers

Hello,

According to http://superuser.com/questions/405097/a ... -need-both either path is valid in Windows 7. Crossover continues to use the older C:\Users\AllUsers notation to be backwards compatible with WinXP & Win98 bottles and so we don't have to create a special case just for Win7 bottles.

Thanks,
Andrew

So according to them this is a non-issue.